70-Year-Old Woman Dies in Devastating Fire at Sohna Tea Shop, Cause Under Investigation

Gurgaon, August 11, 2024:
A tragic fire early Saturday morning claimed the life of a 70-year-old woman, Kasturi, who was confined to her cot after a recent hip fracture. The fire broke out at her tea shop located in a grain wholesale market in Sohna around 1 AM. Kasturi, who lived alone in the shop, suffered severe burns and was declared dead upon arrival at Civil Hospital.

Kasturi, a widow, had refused multiple requests from her family to return home, choosing instead to run her tea stall to sustain herself. Despite her frailty and recent injury, she remained determined to manage her livelihood.

Local shop owners reported hearing two loud explosions, approximately 15 minutes apart, shortly before the fire engulfed the shop. These explosions are suspected to have been caused by gas cylinders stored inside Kasturi’s tea shop.

“We were jolted out of sleep by the sound of an explosion. Another followed after around 15 minutes. When we rushed out, we found the tea shop up in flames,” said Rohtash Saini, a fellow shop owner in the market. He and others immediately alerted the police and fire department.

Two fire tenders arrived at the scene and took nearly 40 minutes to bring the flames under control. Unfortunately, by then, most of the shop had been gutted. Firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to other shops in the two-storey building of the mandi.

“After the flames were doused, we found Kasturi lying on the floor, charred beyond recognition,” Saini said, adding that the explosions likely originated from the gas cylinders but were not powerful enough to collapse the roof.

Kasturi had been bedridden for five days after fracturing her hip. Local shop owners had been caring for her, providing food, water, and medication. Her charred remains were returned to her family after an autopsy was conducted on Saturday.

Assistant Fire Officer Jaibir Bhardana, who led the firefighting operation, stated that the cause of the fire is still under investigation. “We have initiated an investigation, but the shop was already gutted by the time we arrived. We managed to prevent the flames from spreading further,” he added.

The community is mourning the loss of Kasturi, a resilient woman who, despite her hardships, remained fiercely independent until the end.